Improvement in corn-shellers



E. s. McEWEN.

CORN-SHELLER.

Nu. 190,721, Patented May 15, 1877;

JZ He; 25 ED811207.

I A 1 WM 62 "L, PETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA S. MGEWEN, OF LISBON, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-SHELLERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l90,72l, dated May 15,1877; application filed January 27, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EZRA S. MOEWEN, of

, Lisbon, Kendall county, State of Illinois, have invented an ImprovedOorn-Sheller, of which the following is a specification:

My improvements relate to cylinder cornshelling machines; and theyconsist in certain novel features of construction and arrangement,hereinafter more fully described and explained.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is an elevation, showing the driving-gear. Fig.2 is a transverse section, showing the relative arrangement of theparts. Fig. 3 is a plan view, and Fig. 4 is a detail view of theseparating-shoe.

A B is the frame, constructed in any usual or approved manner, ofsuitable material, wood or metal. 0 is the principal or shellingcylinder, journaled in the bearings D D, and armed with teeth, spirallyarranged, as shown in Fig. 3.

This cylinder may be roughened or ribbed, instead of toothed.

E is the smaller cylinder, journaled parallel, or nearly so, with,contiguous to, and above the horizontal plane of the axis of thecylinder 0.

The cylinder E is, preferably, smooth on its surface, though it may beroughened or slightly toothed, the use of the teeth or roughenedsurface, when used, being, not to shell, but to revolve, the ears ofcorn.

The machine may be constructed with more than one of these smaller orauxiliary cylinders.

F is the main driving-gear, journaled at the end of the casing upon thedriving-shaft T, and imparting motion to the cylinder 0 through thepinion H on the shaft of the same, and a more rapid rotation to cylinderE in the same direction as cylinder (J, through a smaller pinion, K, bymeans of gear I.

The separating-shoe S, to be provided, if desired, with sieves, is hungunder the main cylinder 0, and extends outward, as shown in the drawing,and is supported in any suitable manner, its width being such withreference to the frame as to allow free lateral reciprocation, as shownin Fig. 3.

The sheet-metal floor S inclines from one side downward to theother-via, to the discharge-spout O-to facilitate the discharge of thegrain into the sack, box, elevator, or other suitable conveyer orreceptacle. Said spout O is formed by turning up the extended portion ofthe sheet metal to form sides and bottom, and the upturned lower edge ofthe sheet metal also'forms a fender and guide to the grain at thatpoint. A fan, also, may be employed to separate the chaff, 8zc., fromthe grain.

The cars of corn are fed into the sheller at the end D, the twocylinders forming a trough, down which the ears, resting by theirgravity, are moved by the spiral shelling-teeth, while the cylindersconcur to cause it to rotate, no further pressure being applied to theears than their own gravity. The teeth strike off the grains withoutbreaking the kernels, and cobs besides, thus saving power to thatextent.

A further and considerable saving of power is effected by the use of thecylinder E, which, by its rapid rotation, prevents the ears of corn andcobs from wedging between it and the sheller-cylinder, as they do when astationary bar or concave is used to shell against in place of thecylinder E.

By the use of cylinder E revolving outwardly from cylinder 0, thesheller can be started even when filled with corn, as the moving surfaceof E prevents the ears of corn from holding the large cylinder.

The auxiliary cylinder or cylinders may be placed in other positionsthan the precise ones shown, the essential thing being that saidcylinder or cylinders shall be parallel, or nearly so, to the main orshelling cylinder, and revolve in the same direction with it, so thatthe teeth of the main cylinder shall carry the ears of corn against themoving surface of the auxiliary cylinder or cylinders.

The shelled grain falls through the sieves of the shoe, exposed to afan-blast in falling on the floor S, and is discharged by the vibrationthrough the spout O.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination,in a corn-sheller, of the cylinder E and the shelling-cylinder O, the

two revolving in the same direction, and being' so constructed andarranged that the shelling-cylimler O carries and shells the ears ofcorn against the revolving surface of E, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

2. In a corn-sheller, the combination of one or more auxiliary cylinderson a shelling-cylinder, all the cylinders being parallel, or near- 1yso, and rotating in the same direction, the auxiliary cylinder orcylinders being so arranged as to form a channel in combination withsaid shelling-cylinder, and to rotate the ears of corn and prevent themfrom wedging as they pass along said channel while being shelled by theshelling-cylinder.

EZRA S. McEWEN. Witnesses:

EDWIN N. LEWIS, FRANK A. FISHER.

